Having grown up in the West African country of Benin, when the two-time Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou immigrated to the United States in 1990 to pursue his dream of acting, he felt a pain he couldn’t ignore.
“I certainly felt a tremendous emptiness, and that emptiness is due to the lack of knowledge of who we are: our backstory, meaning our history, ancestral roots and culture,” Hounsou told CNN . “I felt this deep disconnect with African Americans,” he added.
When Hounsou landed the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film “Amistad” the powerful story of the slave trade, a harsh reality that affected much of the black diaspora was exposed to him in a new way.
“As I was researching the film, I became deeply aware of the disconnection of people of African descent from their roots and culture,” explained Hounsou.
As his career progressed, the actor gained a deeper understanding of the lasting effects of slavery through the systemic racism he says he faced throughout his 30-year journey in the industry.
“I came here for a dream and I’m realizing that systemic racism was in everything you see,” he said.
Despite starring in several successful films such as “Gladiator” (2000), “Shazam” (2019) and the franchise “A Quiet Place” and being nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for “Land of Dreams” in 2004 and “Blood Diamond” In 2007, Hounsou says he encountered challenges like those faced by other black actors in Hollywood, including being stereotyped and receiving unfair compensation.
“This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go. With two Oscar nominations, I’m still struggling financially to survive . This is a signal to you that systemic racism is not something you can deal with lightly he is so deeply embedded in so many things we do at every level.”
These hard truths were the catalyst for his philanthropic mission. The actor launched the Djimon Hounsou Foundation in 2019, an initiative dedicated to uniting the black diaspora and combating modern slavery. However, the core of Hounsou’s work revolves around reconnecting black people to their African roots.
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This content was originally published in Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou says he is fighting to survive on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
